Honeymoon like Kim Kardashian and Kayne West

So you may not have the same honeymoon budget as Kim Kardashian and Kayne West do but it doesn't mean you can't still travel like them.

After exchanging their vows in an over-the-top ceremony at Florence's 16th-century Forte di Belvedere, Italy on Saturday, May 24, the newlywed couple Kim Kardashian and Kayne West, headed off to Castlemartyr Resort in the Cork woodlands of Ireland to enjoy their five-day honeymoon.

The 103 bedrooms and suites at The Castlemartyr 5-star Resort boasts lavish views of ornate gardens, parklands and lakes. The property has a 10-room treatment spa, a fitness studio, a Ron Kirby designed golf course, four restaurants, and 800-year-old castle ruins. The 18th century classic manor was originally built by the Knights Templar under Richard Earl De Clare, also known as Strongbow. 

Even though the famous Kardashian and West couple may have forked out upwards of US$67,000 a night to stay in the luxurious Presidential Suite, you can still have the same experience at the same resort a fraction of the price. Romantic Planet Vacations, specialists in destination weddings and honeymoons, is offering the standard double deluxe room for 4 nights from only around US$900 in total. Or upgrade from there and live like a lord and lady of the manor in one of the four exclusive suit residences located in the heart of the manor from only around US$2500 for 4 nights in the Grand Suite category. 

The resort is nestled in 220 acres of parklands and nature with an abundance of wildlife and gardens. You can take a walk with "Earl" and "Countess", Irish Setter dogs and residents of Castlemartyr Resort. You can also hire a car and drive through the nearny city of Cork and the countryside to visit the many ancient and historic sites that Ireland has to offer. Perhaps you want to impress your new wife or husband with your archery and laser clay pigeon shooting skills or go for a bike ride, horseback ride or carriage ride throughout the grounds. In evening, hang out at the Knight Bar, the center of activity at the resort. 

Regardless of what you do or don't do at Castlemartyr Resort, Romantic Planet Vacations has made it easy to honeymoon like the Kardashians......in style.

For more information on this or other unique and romantic honeymoon options to Ireland and Europe, please contact Romantic Planet Vacations at 1-866-247-8124 or inquiries@romanticplanet.ca

By: Laurie Keith
Romantic Planet Vacations
www.romanticplanet.ca

@KimKardashian @kanyewest @TourismIreland @romanticplanet @CastlemartyrRes #kimye #kimyewedding #kimyehoneymoon

News from Mayan Riviera and Cancun

The 144-suite Generations Riviera Maya held its official grand opening this past Monday in Mexico. The resort (sitting near El Dorado Casitas Royale) offers four dining venues, two bars, a kids club, and other guest services.

The Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya held its official grand opening a day earlier in Mexico. The 1,264-room resort boasts nine restaurants, eight bars and lounges, kids and teen clubs, a Rock Spa facility, and other amenities.

AMResorts will rebrand the existing Grand Oasis Viva resort in Mexico as the 441-room Dreams Sands Cancun Resort & Spa in September. The property will offer eight restaurants, six bars, a kids club, two pools, a Dreams Spa, and other amenities.

On Nov. 8, Cirque du Soleil will open a new year-round show in the 600-seat Vidanta Theater in Mexico's Riviera Maya region (near the Grand Mayan resort). The 70-minute show will run eight times each week.

Excellence Group Luxury Hotels & Resorts (which operates the Excellent and Beloved Hotels brands) announced a new brand called Finest Resorts. The first property will be the 450-suite Finest Playa Mujeres opening next April near Cancun. The Finest brand will be an all-inclusive mix between the adults-only Excellence and the spa-focused Beloved - open to all ages but with 20 percent of the suites reserved for couples.

Contact www.romanticplanet.ca for your expert travel advice on your upcoming honeymoon or destination wedding.

Self-Guided Europe River Cruise Experience Perfect for Young (or young at heart) Travelers

So here's the scoop. You love the idea of cruising and bus tours but cringe at the thought of being stuck aboard a ship or bus full of blue hairs and fighting over bingo dabbers. You want to explore Europe but let's face it, you don't have the time, nor desire, to backpack it. You want the best of both worlds - an organized trip where you won't miss out on any of the great wonders, but you also want the freedom to anchor for a few more days at a place you love.

Like Lewis and Clark, Alexander Mackenzie, and Jacques Cartier, we know that some of the best routes to explore worldwide are by river, hence the massive and growing popularity of river cruising now in Europe. This is certainly a viable option for you, except, their big river cruise-lines have a strict itinerary to adhere to. What do you think Cartier would have done if his ship was set to go North, instead of West to discover the St. Lawrence River. On your big ship river cruise, there will be no stopping at Marmande, a little village in France 

for the Wine and Cheese Festival. Nope, you can't stop at that little cafe overlooking the square to watch the sunset because the ship is leaving at 5:00 PM and no way can they navigate narrow channels to get you to that hidden medieval castle. Oh, and heaven for bid if you want to stay up past 10:00 PM to enjoy some music and look at the stars on top deck while the other cruising patrons are already fast asleep.

So what is the young explorer in you to do? The answer, gather up your friends or family and rent your own river boat! 

The newest, and most exciting travel product now available to Canadians is hiring a little barge, yacht, house-boat, fishing boat - whatever you name it, and be your own captain, your own Alexander Mackenzie! Included in the hire, you will receive hands-on instructions to how to run the equipment, maps and suggested itineraries so you can go and explore the rivers and canals of France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Ireland, and/or Poland entirely on your own. There are even circuits that are recommended for nature, gastronomy, swimming, heritage and cultural/urban. Fishing from your boat is no problem for those fishing enthusiasts, or for those who want to catch and cook their own dinner. Another great feature is that you can also rent bikes for the duration of your stay and store them on-board. Then when you port, you can further explore the country-side, town or city. It's like bringing your own home with you wherever you go!

Destination Wedding Planner, Laurie Keith, of Romantic Planet Vacations, had her wedding in Mexico last year and hasn't yet planned her own honeymoon. For a well-traveled couple who's been-there-done-that, renting their own river boat in Europe this summer is now their top choice.

The cost of renting your very own river boat depends greatly on the size of the boat itself, where, and the duration of stay but most are less expensive than European hotel stays and definitely less than the large river cruise-lines. A small river boat for two people for 7 days from Burgundy to Loire for example, is only about CAD$600 per person in September!

Please contact Romantic Planet Vacations at inquiries@romanticplanet.ca or 1-866-247-8123 www.romanticplanet.ca for more information.

The Haven: Norwegian Freestyle Cruising Like You've Never Cruised Before

If you thought that cruiselines have already outdone themselves, you haven't seen anything yet. Introducing The Haven, by Norwegian Cruiselines. 

Hidden away at the top of the ship is an exclusive enclave with our most luxurious, well-appointed and spacious accommodations. Not only will you have access to all the ship has to offer, you’ll enjoy the personal service of a 24-hour butler and concierge throughout your entire stay. On top of that, complete privacy and tranquility are just steps away on a private sundeck reserved exclusively for guests of The Haven. It’s like having your own ship within a ship, all of which makes for a vacation you’ll never forget. 


Available exclusively on Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Jade and Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Escape (coming in 2015).

The average cost of The Haven luxurious cabin is about $1000 per night.

Contact Romantic Planet Vacations, your travel specialists in romantic luxurious escapes at 1-866-247-8123, inquiries@romanticplanet.ca or visit their Luxury Travel Collection web-site at http://www.romanticplanet.ca/luxurytravel/ for more details.  

The Pros and Cons of a No-kid Destination Wedding

As with any parent, we should know that you cannot stand in between them and their children, unless you want a raging mamma-bear attack you. So why do brides try?

As destination wedding specialists, Romantic Planet Vacations gets approached by about five to ten destination weddings brides and grooms a year who want to put the ban on having kids attend their destination weddings, which means, if you want to bring your kids, you're simply not invited.

There is certainly an appeal of having your destination wedding at a luxurious adult-only 5-star resort on the tropical beaches of paradise, minus the screams and cries of little minions running around. These resort properties, such as El Dorado Resorts, Secrets Resorts, Excellence Resorts, Couples Resorts and Sandals Resorts cater to such a market. The restaurants have mature and gourmet menus and no high-chairs, the pools are peaceful and calm with no prospects of unexpected pool splashes in your margarita, and the beaches are relaxing and clean from the clutter of little beach toys. The rooms are romantic, emphasizing king-sized beds, open shower plans, and unobstructed view balconies. There are no kids clubs and no kids pools. Everything is for the enjoyment of adults....only. 

But what do you do if you have one wedding guest who has a child and must bring them? Do you change your destination wedding plans just for that one person or surely the resort will make an exception so to get your big destination wedding group business. Or will they?

There was a situation recently that the bride and groom were getting married a second time around. It was going to be a small wedding and they preferred to get married at a Sandals adult-only resort in St. Lucia. In this particular case, the bride had a 17 year old daughter and the rest of the ten passengers were adults. The team at Romantic Planet Vacations contacted the General Manager at the Sandals property, the sales rep for Sandals, their boss and their boss's boss, and all said there was NO exception on their adult-only rule. The group ended up having to book at a 4 star family-friendly resort in St. Lucia instead and although the wedding was incredible, the bride returned feeling a little unfulfilled. And this is the case with most, if not all, adult-only resorts. If they make one exception, they have to make more and then they will lose the whole concept of the adult-only theme in the first place, so in most cases, they do not, even if it means turning away a whole wedding group. 

What about the option of having those guests with kids stay off-property at another resort? In this case, the adults can come to your resort for the wedding itself, at approximately US$100 per person day-pass rate, but the children must stay away. Knowing today's moms, they don't like the idea of leaving their children alone, even at a supervised kids club, let alone in a foreign country at a foreign resort while their celebrating elsewhere. In most cases, it just doesn't happen. 

However, when you work with a destination wedding travel specialist like Romantic Planet Vacations, they take great pride in being able to utilize their expertise, knowledge, training and experience from over the last nine years of serving destination weddings, to find the right solution to meet your needs and that of your wedding guests. 

Take the case of Natasha and Will, married in Jamaica in February 2013. The bride had been dreaming of an adult-only resort for their destination wedding years before even getting engaged. Under all circumstances, it absolutely had to be a luxury adult only resort for their destination wedding. It was their first and only wedding so it was going to be done right. All plans were in place, engagement ring on the finger, and all guests onboard and excited. Then, her only brother had a child. Although thrilled to have a brand new nephew, she was in turmoil on what to do with her wedding plans as her brother's presence was a must. As a solution, Romantic Planet Vacations found the perfect resort to cater to their needs. The Iberostar Rosehall complex, near Montego Bay, consists of a 5-star adult-only section (The Grand), a 4.5

star family friendly section (The Suites) and a 4 star budget-conscious family-friendly section (The Beach). Although the family-friendly section guests could not enter the adult-only section, the guests from the adult-only section could visit the family-friendly sections, and hence, could also enjoy their vacation with her brother, wife and new nephew. Natasha's brother and wife got to attend the wedding in the adult-only section with the day-pass, while leaving their infant with the resort's babysitter for a couple of hours. The resort even provided them a beeper for that peace of mind and they were literally a 5 minute walk from their child. The bride got her wish of the dream wedding and stay at an adult-only property. Her brother attended the wedding. They visited with their family and friends throughout the resort complex and had a great time. Tragedy was averted.

But what if you want zero, none, zilch, no kids, at all, anywhere near your wedding or resort? What if you want adult fun with your friends and family without having them run off to spend time with their kids? You can certainly find a diplomatic way of advising "adults only" on your wedding invitation, but know that you do risk that these parent-guests will not attend at all. Without getting upset that they can't go, the best advice is to just walk around the bear and her cubs, to avoid an all-out fight. Let the parent-guests know that you do love their cute little cubs but this is your dream from when you were a child and emphasize that you understand fully if they can't make it. 

If you do have parent-guests that are able to make the trip as they have awesome babysitter grandparents at home, but they can't attend for the whole week, there is certainly the option to travel for a shorter duration. Your travel destination wedding specialists can find the airline and package that will cater to this need. At least in this case, they get a break too.

If you need a solution for the best resort to cater to your destination wedding needs, with or without kids, please feel free to contact Romantic Planet Vacations, specialists in destination weddings since 2004. They can be contacted at inquiries@romanticplanet.ca or www.romanticplanet.ca. They offer destination wedding packages to worldwide locales but cater to the all-inclusive places of Mexico, Jamaica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, Bahamas, Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Costa Rica, and Panama.